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138 Chapter Fifteen The

138 Chapter Fifteen The Sheng Chi Master The Sheng Chi Master is sitting Buddha style under the Earthly Cedar Tree mediating. Gray Wolf approaches on the dirt road with a battle spear in his hand. He sits down quietly next to the Sheng Chi Master with the spear resting easy across his legs. He waits. After a while the Sheng Chi Master, his eyes closed and still in his meditative posture, breaks the silence. "You have not found a way to return to your home. You come for guidance?" "You lied to me." "No lie. It is the way of the Thunder Beings, they ---" A flash of lightning interrupts the Master. Gray Wolf looks toward the sky. The Sheng Chi Master remains calm, while Gray Wolf stands up. "What's that?" Gray Wolf points to a cloudless sky. The Stellar Bubble Craft appears; zooms down toward them at lightning speed, stops abruptly hovering two feet above the dirt road. Nous does not move out and hover as usual, but steps out standing with feet an inch off the ground. The Craft flies off. The Sheng Chi Master looks up. "It is good to see you again. "It has been too long, Sheng Chi Master," Nous looks at Gray Wolf and back to the Master, "Gray Wolf wants you

139 to send him back to Theia with the Sacred Oglala Crest. But he ---" "Who are you, and what do you want?" asks Grey Wolf. "I am Nous; the Equilibrium. I am the keeper of planetary balance. You do not belong here and you must return to your planet or ---" He interrupts again. "Equilibrium? Ha! Return? Not until I get what I came for." He points at the Sheng Chi Master, "He has tricked me." Gray Wolf raises his voice and turns to Nous, "You are in the way. Go. Leave us." Nous looks at the Sheng Chi Master, turns to inspect Gray Wolf, considers the situation, and moves slightly extending a hand toward Gray Wolf. A green ray discharges slowly from the index finger pointing directly at Gray Wolf's chest with a slight 'thud'; a moment passes and Gray Wolf wavers dropping to his knees stunned. Nous looks at the Sheng Chi Master, "Leave us old friend, we have a difference to settle." The Sheng Chi Master gets up, bows reverently, turns and departs. Gray Wolf gets up and shakes off the stun as he brandishes his spear. He lunges toward Nous with a battle cry, "Hoka Hey!" Nous parries. The fight is on as Gray Wolf positions his Buffalo Horn War Spear toward Nous. There is a 'flash' from the spear point. Nous ducks warding off the spear burst with his Green Ray. There are many volleys. The flashes from both back and forth seem unending until Nous' Green Ray snaps Gray Wolf's spear in two. Gray Wolf looks bewildered and retreats. The Bubble Craft retrieves Nous and speeds away. "You haven't won," Gray Wolf shouts, 'beware' in Lakota, "Iwakta ye." He reaches down to the dirt road, grabs a